Forget Joe Louis Arena, The Palace is where it's at

AP PhotoPistons coach Flip Saunders, left, and Chauncey Billups are part of the best game in town Saturday night.

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons' Eastern Conference finals game in the north suburbs starts 30 minutes after the Red Wings skate-a-thon toward another Stanley Cup in Detroit tonight, and that should work for the smartest of Michigan's sports fans.

Most can take only about 10 to 30 minutes of hockey before needing a wake-up call.

The Pistons hosting the Celtics in a third game, in the wake of the top-seed Celtics having had their home-court advantage taken away by the plundering Pistons in Boston Thursday, is the top ticket.

Besides, hockey and the Red Wings were so last decade. How else do you explain nights without sellouts for a winning team this season? Call us when you get to Game 7 or something. We'll watch if an NBA playoff game isn't on.

See, the NBA is hip again. It's the show. Kid Rock will be there.

"Ain't no party like a Deetroit party cause a Deetroit party don't stop," Kid sings, or yells, or something.

Trust me, he's not talking hockey.

Ever seen somebody as cool as Jack Nicholson courtside at a hockey game? Didn't think so.

The Pistons offer Chauncey, Rip, Sheed, Dice, Tay and the rookie Stuck playing against KG and his latest entourage. Those are the single-name familiar characters in a drama full of energy, high-flying acrobatics and such.

Hockey has that continuous stick-slapping mistake thing going on, and who can pronounce the names of those cats, even the many who are former Grand Rapids Griffins?

Sure, they call Detroit Hockeytown. Those would be people who have never left town, and consider a trip to Pontiac akin to a weekend at Mackinac Island. Besides, it's pretty certain there are better hockey towns over one of the big bridges in Canada.

Basketball is pure American, as in Dr. Naismith, the peach basket, the whole thing.

This Red Wings and Pistons playing head to head in primetime tonight, Monday and Wednesday should produce ratings points that side with Chauncey and the guys in the end.

Not that the numbers will be dramatic evidence. ESPN poll results reported by USA Today indicate only 12 percent of self-described avid NBA fans also describe themselves as avid NHL fans.

For that 12 percent, there is this great invention called a television remote. Those folks can find a television and repeatedly hit the last channel button to their heart's content.

Otherwise, those heading to Motown for the showdowns should opt for the NBA ticket.

Boston was the winningest team in the NBA this season, and the Pistons have them right were they want them at this point in the best-of-seven series. The Celtics are coming to The Palace, and the Pistons want to give them a two-game royal flush to take a 3-1 lead in the series before going back to bean town for a fifth game.

The Pistons could, pun intended, put the series on ice in a few days time.

"We're geeked about getting back to our home court you know," Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said after winning in Boston on Thursday. "We think we have the best fans in the NBA. The fans will be excited, and we have go and take care of our home court."

We can hear it now.

"DEEEEEE-troit BASKET-ball," the announcer -- his name is Mason -- thunders.